Frequently Asked Questions

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If you're happy with the service you're receiving from contingent recruiters and the way they're working is effective for you, there's no need for you to do anything different. 

However, if you're frustrated with the poor-quality CVs you're receiving, the lack of candidates, or the position still being vacant, retained search is the way to solve that. 

The typical cost for this solution is slightly higher than a contingent service because there is more work, time, and resources involved. 

It carries a fee of 18% and we break it down into three stages. The first third is payable on commencement of the assignment, the second is payable on confirmation of the agreed shortlist, and the balance is based on the offer to the candidate, payable on the accepted offer. 

As recruiters, when we work on a contingent or 'subject to chance' basis, we typically handle between five and 15 jobs at any one time. Not just us, but all agencies do the same thing. 

Because we're working for free, we have to prioritise jobs based on the likelihood of filling them, balancing our risk. If a job is from a great brand in a great location with easy skill sets to find, it's higher on our list. If it's more challenging or requires more work, it's difficult for us to justify spending the necessary time because there's always the possibility you might decide not to recruit for it. 

Although it might seem that putting it out to multiple recruiters multiplies the effort, you're getting less effort from each one. Moreover, with limited time to risk, you're only scraping the surface of the talent pool. You're seeing the 10% of candidates who are currently in the market, but not the 90% who aren't. Additionally, the same candidates are approached multiple times by different agencies, and you end up like a house with several 'for sale' signs, which doesn't help your brand. 

We understand that completely. In time we want to become a trusted partner to you, just as we are to other law firms. We'd love the chance to demonstrate our capability. 

This is a two-way street, and your financial commitment allows us to fully commit in return. We are dealing with people, so I can’t guarantee that the person we initially seek will be the exact fit we find. Maybe that person doesn’t exist, or they do but aren't interested at this time. 

However, your commitment ensures we work on this until we achieve the best possible result. We'll provide the intelligence and information you need to make informed decisions and be confident in the final outcome. We haven’t failed with this approach before, and we wouldn’t recommend it unless we were completely confident.